The first exhibition to be presented at Science Gallery Melbourne’s new purpose-built gallery presents different perspectives on mental health and ways of being. Science, technology and art come together in a new exhibition showcasing stories and experiences from across the mental health spectrum.

MENTAL: Head Inside, opens mid-2021, and features over 20 new projects from local and international artists and research collaborators, each challenging societal stereotypes surrounding mental health and reflecting different ways of being, surviving and connecting in the world.

Rose Hiscock, Director Museums and Collections the University of Melbourne said she was pleased to present an exhibition on mental health as the inaugural program for the new gallery. “The Science Gallery model seeks to present exhibitions on themes that are of special relevance to young people. We know that almost half of us will directly experience challenges to our mental health at some stage in our lives, and young people are an especially affected group.”

The exhibition, curated by Tilly Boleyn, Science Gallery Melbourne Head of Curatorial, Dr Ryan Jefferies, Creative Director, and with a team of young people and experts includes:

Selfcare_4EVA, a new performative work set within a fake bedroom in the Science Gallery street level windows. Melbourne-based artists Mary Angley and Caithlin O’Loghlen will spend seven days on view, pursuing the impossible goal of becoming the most famous wellness influencers on the internet. Each day they will create an increasing amount of content, joined by a series of guests including self-care enthusiasts and mental health professionals, working to uncover what goes into creating an image of perfect wellness, and exploring whether the industry helps or hinders mental health. Their progress can be viewed live in the gallery or online.

Wheel is a collaboration between renowned artist Hiromi Tango and Dr Emma Burrows that explores the effect of exercise on mood, and the influence of positive social reward on our exercise commitment.
Respite Space, a new project by Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara artist Rosie Kalina, who will create a space within the exhibition designed for rest and reflection. This space will emphasise the importance of respite in the colony, inviting visitors to consider the impact racism and continued colonisation has on the mental health of Aboriginal people.
The Aesthetics of Being Disappeared, a multi-media project from Wednesday Kim. Born in South Korea and now based in the US, Kim’s work is informed by the artist’s personal experiences with therapy, human psychology and the absurdity of information-saturated contemporary life.
Distorted Constellations by UK artist Nwando Ebizie, an immersive sensory environment drawing on the rare neurological disorder Visual Snow, which causes a person to see auras and glowing lines.
Mirror Ritual, by Nina Rajcic and Sensilab (Melbourne), an interactive artwork that appropriates an everyday object – a mirror – augmenting it with artificial intelligence (AI) to foster both literal and metaphoric reflection. Through AI generated poetry, the mirror ‘speaks’ to the viewer, each poem tailored to their machine-perceived emotional state.

Tilly Boleyn said MENTAL: Head Inside recognises that everyone reacts to the world differently, according to their own history, perception, biomedical and emotional state. “The exhibition acknowledges that not all mental health journeys are the same. It’s not a show about cures or treatment, although there might be things in there that will help. This is an inclusive exhibition that explores many different ways of being, surviving and connecting in 2021,” Ms Boleyn said.

Dr Ryan Jefferies, Creative Director at Science Gallery Melbourne said a curatorial panel of young people, mental health experts and lived-experience advocates played a crucial role in developing this exhibition. “Working with leading academics like Professor Sarah J Wilson, psychologist and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Life), Cath Roper at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing at the University of Melbourne, and Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University, has pushed us in being bolder and braver with this challenging theme,” he said.

The exhibition season will include a series of workshops, performances, artist talks, virtual interactive sessions, parties, panel discussions, conversations, and addresses. Event collaborators include renowned artist Heidi Everett whose work will explore diverse lived experience perspectives of a public psych ward and Catherine Simmonds & Feifei Liao who will work with the lived experience of international students in Australia.

Support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14

MENTAL opening date announced soon